Protected by a SEAL: Hot SEALs (Volume 5) (16 page)

Sierra cleared her throat, hoping to clear that memory from her brain before she did something foolish, like asking him if he’d sleep in her bed tonight.

Sleep
. That was an amusing thought. She doubted there’d be a whole lot of that if he spent the night in her bed.

“Almost ready. Just letting the steak rest for a few minutes before I cut it and waiting for the onions to caramelize.”

Caramelized onions
? “What in the world do you know about caramelized onions? Who
are
you?"

Rick let out a snort. "I'm a man who likes to eat, who has a roommate who doesn't like to cook, so I didn't have all that much choice in the matter. It was learn my way around the kitchen or live on take-out food. Now that I'm not working out as much as I used to it's easy to pack on the pounds eating too much take-out."

She eyed the width of his shoulders. The way his muscles flexed and relaxed as he went through the motions of preparing the meal. This was what Rick looked like when he wasn't working out as hard as he used to? What the hell did he used to look like?

"So do you want to talk about your case now or after we eat?" Rick asked.

His question surprised her. She hadn't realized there was anything about her case to discuss. As far as she knew, they were stuck here until the police or Rick's boss or someone of some authority told her it was safe to go back.

Or until the movie studio threatened to sue her for breech of contract and she was legally forced to return to set, which was a very real possibility.

This little poorly timed sabbatical just before they were about to wrap the movie was not going to work in her favor when it came to negotiating her pay for the next one. It wouldn’t matter that it hadn’t been her fault, or even her choice.

It was in the best interest of her career to get back to work as soon as possible. That was inspiration enough to have this conversation with Rick about any progress in the case right away.

"Let's discuss it now."

He tipped his head. "All right. While you were sleeping I talked to Jon—"

On the phone he was allowed to have when she wasn't. That had her gritting her teeth a bit as she asked, "And?"

"They're making progress."

"Progress how?" What could they possibly have to go on? A broken doorframe on her trailer from a bullet shot by an unseen shooter? A bullet that only Rick felt.

"They've got a crew pawing through your fan mail from the past year."

"What crew? Who? The police?"

“Actually, it’s Jon, Zane, Jon's girlfriend Ali, and Darci." He cringed as his gaze pinned hers. "You okay with that? I know it's an invasion of your privacy, but Roger approved it. They really did need full access to your fan mail to figure this thing out."

That
was what he was worried about? His boss, friends and family reading her fan mail? Meanwhile he knew all about her current choice in birth control thanks to him and his brutish buddies traipsing through her bathroom before dawn.

"It’s fine.
I
don't even read my fan mail. We hire an assistant to open it and answer it for me. As me, actually, so the fans won’t know the response isn’t from me personally."

He put down the spoon he’d been stirring the onions with. "Really? That's interesting."

"Why is that interesting?” Her defenses went up immediately. “Go on. Make some comment about how fake I am or how dishonest that is to the fans who support me."

His brows rose high. "Whoa. Dial it back, princess. It's interesting because whoever answered that mail as you might have inadvertently encouraged this guy in their reply. What you didn’t let me tell you yet is that Jon flagged a bunch of letters. He’s very interested in one batch in particular. Since it wasn't you who responded, maybe we need to track down and talk to whoever answered those letters to see if they encouraged him in some way."

One word caught her attention. "Letters. Plural?"

"Yeah." He drew in a breath, as if he knew she wasn't going to like the answer. "Three dozen."

“Three dozen?” Her voice rose high. “Over how long of a period?"

"Six months."

Holy moly. As she panicked, Rick already had his phone out.

He punched in a text then set the phone on the island before raising his gaze to her. "You okay?"

“I'm not sure.” If she had a definitive yes or no, she would have said so but right now, that was the most honest answer she could come up with. "Who did you just text?"

“Jon. To tell him to get on finding who replied to your fan mail during that period.” Rick moved around the island.

He wrapped his arms around her and she let him pull her tight against a chest too hard to be comfortable, yet it made her feel better anyway.

That she let him hold her—and she liked it—was testament of how freaked out she was about those dozens of letters she hadn’t known existed until now.

Pressed against his chest she breathed in the scent of him. Clean man and some masculine scented deodorant mingled with the smells of the cooking food that clung to his shirt.

"Sierra, listen to me. This is good. It's a solid lead. We'll wrap this case up and have you back to work in no time."

She managed to nod.

Rick rubbed his hand up and down her back, soothing her. Nothing sexual. Just nice. He pulled back enough to look down at her. "I'm gonna cut the steak and make you a plate."

"I don't know if I can eat."

Her stomach was twisting, making her feel ill from the thought of this person writing to her so incessantly. And not one of her staff thought that was a red flag? She needed to seriously evaluate her personnel.

She glanced up to find Rick watching her closely.

"Stop." He said it in a firm deep tone that left no doubt he wanted her to obey.

Too bad for him, she had no clue what it was he wanted her to stop doing. She was just sitting there.

"Stop what?"

"Obsessing. Worrying. Thinking. The police and my guys are all on this. There’s nothing you can do except take care of yourself. You're going to eat—your body needs the food—then you're going to take one of those sleeping pills of yours and you’re going to get a good night's sleep because that nap didn't make up for the sleep you lost last night. And no I didn’t paw through your bag. I saw the bottle in the bathroom at the hotel."

He certainly was observant about details, right down to what medications her doctor prescribed. For some reason, she didn't hate that as much as she should.

Maybe in the absence of all else, a person had to take what they could get. Rick was the only friend—and the only protection—she had right now. The one man standing between her and whoever was stalking her.

Or maybe it was just that the shoulder holster and accompanying gun he was once again wearing had become oddly comforting to her.

Like it or not, he was also the only man in her life available to hold her and make her forget everything, if even for a little while. She knew he’d dedicate all two hundred plus pounds of himself doing that, if she just asked.

“You agree to all that?” he asked.

Rick was focused on her, concern clear in his expression, while she was torn between being frightened to death and obsessed with having more sex with him.

"Okay. I'll try to eat and later I'll take a sleeping pill. But there’s something I wouldn’t mind doing in between. If you’re up for it." She raised her gaze to meet his hoping he’d get the hint. That he wouldn't make her outright ask.

The corner of his mouth tipped up. "Yeah. That sounds good."

He dropped his hold on her and made his way around the island, but not without a backward glance that had his smile broadening.

She was pretty sure he understood exactly what she needed.

CHAPTER 18

Sierra came into the bedroom carrying a prescription pill bottle in one hand. Rick slid off the shoulder holster and laid it on the dresser as he watched her put the bottle on the table next to the cold water he had carried upstairs for her.

He looked from the table to her, his hand poised on the button at the waist of his pants. “I hope you didn’t take one of those sleeping pills quite yet.”

“No. Don’t worry.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, her tone indulgent.

“Oh, I wasn’t really worried.” Pill or not, he figured he would have been able to keep her attention for as long as he needed it.

He’d let her get a good night’s sleep eventually, but right now he was going to distract her and himself for a little while.

Or maybe a long while.

She’d eaten. Not everything on her plate but enough to make him happy she had something decent in her stomach. But she was worried, he could tell, and he had every plan to help her forget this stalker.

She dropped her clothes and he had the pleasure of gazing upon her. From the tips of her painted toes, all the way up to the peaks of her pink-tipped breasts. Not to mention all of the smooth silky bare skin in between.

Hell, he’d just about forgotten her stalker too, just from seeing her like this. “Were you naked under those clothes all through dinner?”

“Yes. Why?” She glanced back at him as she flipped back the covers on the bed.

“I’m just glad I didn’t know that then.” Knowing she wasn’t wearing any underwear or bra would have been too tempting. He would have had to set her up on the island and do nasty but oh so nice things to her.

That would have been a very bad idea. Not because he didn’t enjoy mixing things up in different locations besides the bedroom once in a while, but there were too many damn windows downstairs.

She crawled onto the mattress and flipped over, sending him a heated glance. “What would you have done if you’d known?”

“I’ll show you.” Inspired, Rick sped up his own disrobing.

There were far too many clothes between them, and at the moment, they were all his.

As he pulled his shirt off he moved toward the bed. He shed and dropped the remainder of his clothes as he went so he was naked by the time he reached her.

They’d gotten along well all through dinner. No bitching or smart ass comments from her. No provoking her from his end. He’d kind of enjoyed the angry sex, but he was willing to give this a try too.

Chances were this new peace between them would only be a temporary truce anyway. Either way he’d have Sierra sighing beneath him.

Rick kneeled on the mattress and moved until he sat straddling her legs.

She moved, forcing him to move with her until he had his back against the headboard and she straddled him. Leaning forward she cupped his face in her hands and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

He hadn’t thought it possible but this hard-as-nails woman could be soft and gentle when she wanted to be.

The kiss was sweet but thorough . . . and then she bit him.

“Ow.” He pulled back and ran his tongue over his lip, tasting for blood.

Sierra smirked. “Don’t tell me that hurt a big tough guy like you.”

She ran the tip of one finger over the bruise she’d left when she’d bit him earlier. That bite had been much harder, but since he’d been occupied at the time it hadn’t bothered him at all. Hell, he’d nearly shot off from the feel of her teeth sinking into him.

Her stare swept down his body followed by her hand, from the mark on his chest to his abs.

He decided to let the damage she’d done to his lip go without further comment as she ran her fingers over the dusting of hair on his stomach. His breath caught in his throat as she moved her hand lower and grasped him. Then she lowered her head.

Damn.

He hissed in a breath as she scraped her teeth up his length, but there was no way he was going to stop her. He’d spent too much time picturing those lips wrapped around him while she’d been flapping them at him with one complaint or another to complain now.

Besides, two could play at this game. Soon he’d have her on her back and he’d be inflicting some torture of his own.

She had him nearing the zone to finish this when his phone buzzed.

“Fuck.” He’d laid the burner cell, his only connection to GAPS, on the nightstand. It was close enough to reach, but the last thing he wanted to do was be interrupted now as the heat of Sierra’s mouth engulfed him.